Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/1028

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The Fox chufcs to Earth in Ground hard to dig,^ as in Clay or Stoney Ground, or amongft the Roots of Trees ; and his Earth has commonly but one Hole, which goes ftraigh: a long Way in, before it come ar their Couch. He fometimes by Craft poflcfTcs himfelf of a Badger's old Bur- row, which has Variety of Chambers, Holes, and Angles. Gefner relates, that he frequently cheats the Badger of his Habitation, by laying his Excrements at the Mouth of his Burrow : Add, that the Wolf being an Enemy to the Fox, this latter fecures his Earth, by laying an Herb call'd Sea-OmM in the Mouth thereof, which the Wolf has a na- tural Averfion to, fb that he never comes near the Place where it either lies or grows.

Badger Hunting. — A Badger is call'd by federal Names, viz-, a Gray Brock, Sorefon, or Saufon. — The Male is a Badger or Boreptg, and the Female a Sow.

This Beaft is very frequent in It a iy, Sicily, the Alpine and Helvetian Coafts ; and not uncommon in France and England.

There are two Kinds, the one refembling a Dog in his Feet, and the other a Hog by his cloven Hoof: They differ too in their Snout and Colour, the one refembling that of a Dog, the other of a Swine: The firft has a greyer or whiter Coat than the other, and goes farther out to prey: They differ alio in their Mear, trie one eating Flefh and Carrion like a Dog, the ether Roots and Fruit like a Hog.

A late Author like wife mentions two Sorts of Badgers, but in a different Manner ; the one, according to him, calling his Fiaunrs long, like a Fox, having his Refidence in Rocks, and making his Burrow very deep ; whereas the Burrows of the other are made in light Ground, and have more Variety of Cells and Chambers ! The one is call'd the Badger-pig, and the other the Badger-iv-help ; or the one may be call'd Canine, and the other Sivinift : The firft hath his Nofe, Throar, and Ears yellowifh, and is much blacker and higher Iegg'd than the latter. Both live on Flefh, hunting greedily after Carrion ; and are pernicious to Warrens, efbecially when big with young.

'When the Badger Earths; after they have dug a good Depth, they make ufe of an Expedient to carry off the Earth.— In order to which, one of them lies down on his Back, and on his Belly the reft lay the Earth ; thus raking his hind Feet in his Mouth, they draw the Belly laden Badger out of the Hole or Cave, and having disburden'd him, he re enters, and repeats the Labour till the Work be compleated,

The Badger is a very fleepy Beaff, efbecially in the Day- time, feldom (lirring abroad but in the Night ; whence the Denomination Lacifvga, q. d. Avoider of the Light.

The Badger is a deep biting Beaft, having very fharp Teeth ; to guard againft the Effects whereof, it is ufual to pLt great broad Collars about the Dogs Necks. His Back is broad, and his Legs longer on the right Side than the left, whence he runs beft on ths Side of a Hill or Cart- Road Way. He rights on his Back, and by this means is at Liberty to ufe both his Teeth and Nails : He has a Faculty of blowing up his Skin after a ft range Manner, by which he defends himfelf againft any Blow or Bite of the Dogs ; fo that you may thrafh your Heart out on his Back ; but a Jmail Sfroak on the Nofe difparches him prefently.

In Italy 'and Germany they eat the Flefh of Badgers, boiling it with Pears ; but in England it is not liked, being of a fweet rankifh Tafte. 'Tis beft in September 3 and of the two Kinds, the Swiniffi Badger is the beft Meat.

They are long Livers, and generally grow blind by meer Atje ; from which Time they never ftir out of their Holes, but are fed by the reft.

The Method of Hunting the Badger is thus : — Seek the Earths and Burrows where he lies, and in a clear Moon-fhine Night go and flop all the Holes but one or two, and therein place Sacks, faften'd with drawing Strings, which may fhut him in as fbon as he {'trains the Bag. — The Bags thus fet, call off your Hounds, and beat all the Groves, Hedges, or Tufts within a Mile or two- What Badgers are abroad, being alaYm'd by the Dogs, will ftraight repair to their Earths, and fo be taken.

He that flays to watch the Sacks, mud ftand clofe, and upon a clear Wind 5 elfe the Badger will find him, and fly fbme other Wjy for Safety. If the Hounds either encounter him, or undertake the Chafe before he can get into his Earth, he will ftand at Eay tike a Boar, and make excellent Sport.

If the Badger be attack 'd in his Earth ; as foon as he perceives the Terriers yearn him, he will ftop the Hole be- tween the Dngs and himfelf; and if the Dog continues baying, he removes his Baggage with him, and goes into another Appartment or Chamber, of which he ufual ly "has half a Dozen in the Burrow ; thus retreating from one to the other, till he can go no further, and barricading the Way as he goes.

Otter Hunting — The Gtt*r is fuppos'd by fome, of

the Caftor or Beaver Kind, being, like it, annmphibious Creature, and living both in the Water and on Land ; betide that, the Relemblance in Point of Shape is fuch, as, were his Tail off, he were in all RefpcSs like the Beaver ; differing in nothing but Habitation, the Beaver frequenting both the fait Water and the frefh, but the Otter only the frefh. See Castor.

Tho* the Otter live much in the Water, he dees not breathe like Fifties, but after the Manner of Quadrupeds. - - He Is web-footed, like our Water Fowl, and can endure to be under Water a long Time without Ref pi ration : And yet in Fifhing he is frequently found to pop up his Noie for Breath. — He has an admirable Smell, whereby he will directly wind a Fifh in the Water a Mile or two off; and is a molt pernicious Beaft to a FiJK-pqpd, his Dexterity at diving, and hunting under Water being fitch, that icarce any Fifh can efcape him : If by painful hunting afhore he cannot fill his Belly, he will leed on Herbs, Snail?, or Frogs : He will fwim a fifhing two Miles together, always againft the Stream, that when his Belly is full, the Current may carry him down again to his Lodging, which is near the Water, artificially built with Boughs, Sprigs, and Sticks couch'd together in fine Order.

The Flefh of this Beaft is cold and filthy, as feeding on ftinkingFifh 5 for which Reafbn it is not eaten among us ; Tho' among the Germans it is a pretty common Food ; and the Carthujian Fryars, who are forbidden to eat all Manner of Flefh, are allow'd this. Some in England have, of late, laid much in Praife of Otter Pye.

The Otter is to be hunted by particular Dogs, call'd Otter Hounds ; and alfo with ipecial lnftruments, call'd Otter Spears.

To find him out, fbme are to go on one Side the River, and fbme on the other; beating all the Way on the Banks, with the Dogs following. — Thus it is fbon found if there be an Otter in that Quarter ; for the Otter cannot endure long in the Water, but muff, come forth to make btsSpraints, and in the Night fbme times to feed on Grafs and other Herbs. If the Hounds find an Otter, look in the fbft and moift Places, to learn by the Prints which Way he bent his Head : If theie make no D;lcovery, it may be partly per- ceiv'd by the Spraints. — This done, follow the Hound, and lodge him as a Hart or Deer.

The Otter always endeavours to keep to the Water, where he is Mafter. --- In Ihmting him therefore, you are to be ready with your Spears, to watch his Vents, for that is the chief Advantage ; W you perceive where he fwims under Water, ftrive to get a Stand before him, where you evpecl: he will Vent, and there endeavour to ftrike him with the Spear; If you mils, purfue him with the Hounds; which, if they be good, and well tnter'd, will come chaunting and trailing along by the River Side, and beat every Tree-Root, every Ofier-Bed, and Tuft of Bull-Rufhes ; nay, fome- times, they will take the Water, and beat it like a Spaniel ; by which Means the Otter can hardly efcape.

If the Beaft find himfelf wounded with aSpear, he makes to Land, where he will maintain a furious Battle with the Dogs.

HURDLES, in Fortification, Twigs of Willows or Oilers, interwoven clofe together, and ufually laden with Earth. Their Ufe is to render Batteries firm, or to con- folidate the Paffages over muddy Ditches, or to cover Traverfcs and Lodgments for the Defence of the Work- men, againft the artificial Fires or Stones that may be caft upon them.

Hurdles, in Husbandry, are Frames made either of fplitted Timber, or of Hazle Rods, platted together ; to ierve for Gates in Enclofures, or to make Sheepfolds, £Sfc.- -

HURDS, or Hards of Flax or Hentp, the coarfer Parts, feparated in the Dreffings from the Tear or fine Stuff. See Hemp and Flax.

HURLE Bene, in an Horfe, is a Bone near the Middle of the Buttock ; very apt to go out of its Sockets with a Slip or Strain.

HURLERS, a fquare Set of Stones in Cornwall, fo call'd from an odd Opinion advane'd by the common People, that they are fb many Men petrify'd or chang'd into Stones, for profaning the Sabbath-Day by hurling the Ball, an Exer- cife for which the People of that Country have been always famous.

HURTS, in Heraldry, by fome wrote Heurts, and by others Huerts, are azure or blue Roundles. SeeRouwDLE.

The Englift Heralds diftinguiffi between the Colours of Roundles, and give them different Names agreeable thereto: Thofe of other Nations content themfelves to call thefe Torteaitx d' Azure ; and in other Cafes, only add the re- fpeffive Colour to the Term Torteaux.

But thefe being blue, fome will have them fignify Bruifes or Contufions in the Flefh, which oft turn to that Colour 5 others fuppofe them Hurtle Berries.

HURRICANE,